Washing apparatus



i 1942. E. s. STODDARD 2,290,653

WASHING APPARATUS Filed larch 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Edgar.5. Sboddar d,

His Attorneg.

July 21, 1942. E. s. STODDARD WASHING APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: Edgar 5. Stoddard,

His Attorneg.

Patented July 21, 1942 UNlTED STATES PATENT m ncev WASHING APPARATUSEdgar S. Stoddard, Berwyn, Ill., assignor :to Edison General ElectricAppliance Company, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New YorkApplication March 5, 1941, Serial No. 381,836

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a washing apparatus and more particularly to alishwashing apparatus and has for its object the provision of improvedand simplified means for removably supporting dishes to be washed in anapparatus of this character.

This invention relates particularly to a front opening type ofdishwasher in which a plurality of racks are provided in the washingspace for supporting dishes within the available cubicle contents of thewashing space.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide improved means forsupporting a plurality of racks in the washing space of a dishwasher sothat the racks may be moved as a unit from a loading or unloadingposition outside of the washing space to a washing position within thewashing space; to provide improved supporting means by which thevertical space required by the plurality of racks and their support isreduced to a minimum; to provide a relatively low cost supportingstructure by which a plurality of racks may be moved in and out of awashing space easily and without sticking or jamming; to provide asupporting structure for a plurality of racks which may be positionedwithin the washing space so that washing racks lie above and below thesupport; and to provide a single supporting structure by which aplurality of racks may be smoothly and easily moved into and out of awashing space without the danger of chipping or breaking of the dishescarried on the rack and with the minimum of rattling of the dishes.

In accomplishing these objects there is provided in accordance with thisinvention a dishwashing apparatus which includes a washing vat having anopening in one of the side walls thereof through which articles to bewashed may be.

loaded and unloaded. Provided within the washing vat are a plurality ofracks comprising a lower dish supporting rack and an upper dishsupporting rack and positioned between these racks is a supportingframe. Extending downwardly from said frame are a plurality of means forsupporting the lower dish rack and positioned within said frame are aplurality of separate means for firmly yet removably supporting theupper dish rack. On each of the side walls of said vat which lieadjacent the side opening there is provided a rail or trackway forsupporting said frame in the washing space of said vat and suitablemeans are provided for effecting a sliding or rolling relation betweenthe frame and said rails. In mounting the rails on the side walls of the10 position. Moreover, in orderto facilitate the washing vat they arespaced from both the top and bottom wall of the vat an amount sufficientto permit both the upper and lower racks to be moved in unison into andout of the washing space. Stops are provided for limiting the movementof the racks into and out of thewashing space and means are provided forlimiting pivotal movement of the rack assembly relative to its supportwhen the assembly is in its extended movement of the loaded racks intothe washing space, the trackways are sloped from front to rear and meansare provided for cushioning the engagement between the frame and thestop limiting movementof the frame into the washing chamber.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference should behad to the acc0m-' panying drawings in which Fig. l is a side elevation,partly in section and partly broken away, showing the improved dishsupporting construction of this invention and th e support thereforwitIn the vat of a front opening type of dish- Washlng apparatus; Fig. 2is a plan view showing one side of the dish rack supporting frame andthe support therefor; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation, partlybroken away, of the side of the rack supporting frame and the supporttherefor shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on.the line44 of Fig. 3 (looking in direction of arrows); and Fig. 5 is a sectionalview taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 (looking in and I8, which are morefully described andclaimed in my copending application, Serial No. r

380,852, filed February 27, 1941, and assigned to the assignee of thepresent invention, are provided for elfecting a fluid-tight seal betweenthe door l6 and the opening ll. Provided in the top wall IQ of the vatis a suitable nozzle 20 for supplying washing fluid to the vat andprovided in the lower portion of the vat is a suitable power drivenfluid circulating means 2 I.

As is well understood in the art, washing fluid is supplied to the vatthrough the nozzle 20 and this washing fluid is thrown or hurledupwardly by means of the circulating means 2| so that it comes incontact with the dishes or other articles to be washed which aresupported within the vat.

Provided within the vat I is a lower dish supporting rack 22 whichcomprises a wire assembly having circumferentially spaced projections 23suitable for supporting relatively large dishes. Arranged within theprojections is a wire basket 24 suitable for supporting smaller piecesof table ware. Spaced above the lower dish supporting rack is an upperdish supporting rack 25 made of wires which are bent to form a pluralityof compartments 25 for supporting different sizes and types of dishesand table ware used in the home. As these supporting racks per se formno part of this invention it is not deemed necessary to describe indetail the various compartments formed therein.

In providing a pair of dish supporting racks within the washingcompartment of the dishwashing apparatus, it is desirable to efficientlyuse the available cubicle contents of the washing space so that themaximum number of articles may be washed in a single operation of theapparatus. Moreover, it is desirable that the racks be positioned orsupported so that they may be readily moved into and out of the washingspace with a minimum amount of noise due to rattling of the dishes andwithout damage to the dishes either from breaking or chipping.

In accordance with this invention these desirable ends are achieved byproviding a single supporting frame 21 for both the lower rack 22 andthe upper rack 25. This supporting frame, as shown in Fig. 1, liesbetween the upper and lower racks and comprises a substantiallyrectangular shaped open frame having front and back walls 28 and 28 andside walls 30 and 3|. Provided along the top edges of each of thesewalls is an integrally formed overhanging flange 32. Suitably secured tothe bottom edges of the walls of the frame 21 are a plurality of arms 33which project downwardly and inwardly and whose ends are welded to asupporting wire to form a supporting ledge upon which is placed a screenand the lower dish supporting rack 22. Thus the lower basket issuspended from and below the frame 21. Provided within the frame in eachcorner thereof are a plurality of angle brackets 34 which are welded tothe adjacent walls of'the frame, as, shown in Fig. 2. .In each cornerofthe upper rack 25 there is provided a downwardly projecting generallyV-shaped wire 35 which is formed so as toprovide a flattened portion 36which is adapted to rest on the angle bracket 34 and a-U-shaped portion31 which is adapted to project down along the side of the brackets. Bymeans of this construction, the upper basket isremovably supported onand above the frame 21 and by providing the U-shaped portion 31 on thewires 35 the upper basket is kept from shifting in the frame duringmovement of the frame into and out of the vat.

Provided within the vat III is improved means 3 for supporting the frame21 so-that the upper and lower dish racks supported thereon can beeasily moved in unison out through the opening H to a loading orunloading position over the previously opened door I6 and back throughthe opening H to a washing position within the vat III. In describingthe details of constmction of this improved supporting structurereference will be had to Figs. 2 through 5 which show enlarged views ofthe support for one side only of the frame 21, namely the left-handside. It will be understood that a similar rolling of sliding supobviousmodifications necessary to permit itto be mounzed on the right-hand sidewall of the vat l Referring to Figs. 2 through 5, it will be observedthat the support for each side of the frame 21 comprises a substantiallyZ-shaped rail member 38. This rail member is secured near its front andrear ends, by means of the bolts 38, to the top-surfaces of the L-shapedbrackets 40. The openings in the rails for receiving the bolts 39 aremade slightly oversize to permit small longitudinal adjustments of therail relative to its support. The L-shaped brackets are secured to theside walls of the washing vat by means of the pairs of nuts and bolts 4|and suitable gasket means 42 are provided on each side of the side wallsso as to prevent leakage at this point and also to form a cushion forthe supporting brackets. In order to increase the rigidity of the Z-shaped rail member 38 a pair of reinforcing ribs 43 are provided thereinintermediate its ends.

As shown in Fig. 3 the bracket supporting the rear of the rail member 38is spaced slightly below the bracket supporting the front of the railmember so that the rail has a slight pitch from front to back within thevat. This produces a gravity bias for the frame toward the rear of thevat and facilitates movement of the frame with the loaded dishes thereoninto the vat. It also insures that the racks supported on the frame willbe properly positioned within the vat for effective washing operations.Moreover, the rail members or trackways 38 are mounted on the side wallsof the vat intermediate the top and bottom walls so that the upper andlower dish supporting racks supported on the frame 21 will clear the topand bottom edge of the opening ll. Thus, but a single pair of rails arerequired for slidably supporting both dish racks within the vat I-Ii.

Formed at the front end of the rail member or trackway 38 is anintegrally formed projecting bracket 44 in which is mounted a pin 45.Rotatably journaled on this pin is a free running roller 46 which isadapted to engage, as shown in Fig. 4, the under side of the overhangingflange 32 formed on the top edges of the side walls of the frame 21.This engagement provides a free rolling or sliding support for the frontedge of one side of the frame 21 when it is in the position shown inFig. 2, and also provides a free running support for the intermediateportion of the side of the frame 21 when the frame and the supportingracks thereon are in the withdrawn position.

Provided atthe rear corners of the frame 21 on each of the side walls 38and 3| .is a similar roller 41 which is rotatably journalled on a pin 48supported in the side wall near the top edge thereof, as shown in Figs.1 and 3. This roller member is adapted to ride on the bottom edge 48 ofthe Z-shaped rail member 38 so as to rollably support the rear portionof the rack frame 21'. By meansof these two roller constructions, one ofwhich is mounted on the rail and engages the overhanging flange 32 ofthe frame and the other of which is mounted on the frame and engages therail, a. free running slidable or rollable support is provided by meansof which the frame 21 and the dish supportingracks mounted thereon maybe withdrawn from or moved into the vat III.

In order to. limit the movement of the frame out of the compartment andthus define the loading or unloading position of the racks supported onthe frame there is pressed out of the side wall 30 of the frame an ear52 which when the frame is in the withdrawn position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 3 abuts against the front roller 46 so as to limit furtheroutward movement.

As the frame 21 and the loaded dish racks supported thereon are movedthrough the side opening of the vat from their innermostposition shownin full lines in Fig. 3 to the extended position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 3 the center of gravity of the entire rack construction movesfrom beyond the inner side of the roller 46 to beyond the outer side ofthe roller 46. This movement of the center of gravity causes theassembly to pivot about the roller 46 and as soon as the center ofgravity is in front of the roller 46 the roller 41 is raised oiI thetrackway 49. In order to limit this pivotal movement of the rackassembly so as to prevent the lower front edge of the lower dishsupporting rack 22 from striking the surface of the open door, there iswelded along the top edge of the Z-shaped rail member 38 an outwardlyprojecting flange or cover plate 53 which is adapted to extend over thetop surface of the overhanging flange 32 of the frame 21 as shown inFigs. 4 and 5. When the frame 21'pivots about the front roller 46 in a,counterclockwise direction this pivotal movement will be limited by theengagement by the rear roller 41 with the under side of plate 53.It'will be observed that when the roller 41 and the plate 53 are inengagement the plate in effect serves as an upper trackway for theroller 41 and increases the effectiveness of this roller in producing afree rolling relation between the frame and its trackway especially whenthe frame is pushed inwardly from its withdrawn position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 2, plate 53 is shorter than the rail 38 and is mountedon the rail so that the front end thereof is not covered. This exposedportion of the rail is provided so as to permit the frame 21 to beremoved from the rails. The distance between the front end of the plate53 and the innermost edge of the roller 46 is made sufficiently great sothat when the frame 21 is in its extended position and the stop 52strikes the roller 46, the roller 41 and the flange 32 of the frame areso positioned with reference to the front end of the plate 53 that thefront of the frame can be raised. This permits the stop 52 to rideupward on the roller 46 until the roller 41 is pulled beyond the frontend of the plate 53. In this position the frame 21 and the rackssupported thereon can be lifted as a unit upward and away from the track49. In mounting the rack assembly on the rails 38 just the reverseprocedure will be employed.

From the foregoing detailed description it is believed that theoperation of the improved rack construction of this invention isapparent. It will be observed that there is provided in accordance withthis invention an improved construc-'- tion by which a plurality ofracks may be slidablyv supported on a single track and roller assemblythe side opening of a dishwasher cabinet freely and easily and withoutdamage to the articles supported on the racks. It will also be observedthat the improved construction of this invention .includes'means forinsuring that the rack con-- struction when in its extended positionwillnot pivot about its support, which means are positioned so as toincrease the effectiveness of the rollers for supporting the rack.assembly and yet at-the same time permit the entire'rack assembly to. bereadily removed from its supporting trackway. 1

While a particular embodiment ofthls invention has been shown, it willbe understood of course that it is not intended to'be limited theretosince many modification may be madeand it is I contemplated therefore bythe appended claims to cover all such modifications 'as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. In a washing apparatus, a vat having a side opening therein throughwhich articles to be washed may be inserted, arail mounted-on each ofthe opposite side walls of said vat, 'a

frame, roller means for supporting said frame on said rails so that saidframe may be rolled into and out of said vat, means for supporting adish carrying rack from and below said frame, and additional meanswithin said frame for removably supporting a second dish carrying rackabove said frame.

2. In a dishwashing apparatus having walls including a pair ofoppositely disposed side walls defining a front opening therein, a pairof vertically spaced racks adapted to be moved in unison outwardlythrough said side opening from .a washing position to a loading andunloading position, a frame lying intermediate said vertically spacedracks and adapted to support each of said racks, a rail mounted oneachof said oppositely disposed side walls intermediate the top andbottom edges of said side opening, roller means on said frame and saidrail adapted to cooperate with said rail and said frame respectively toprovide a free rolling support for said frame, and means for limitingpivotal movementof said frame about said roller means on said rail assaid frame is moved outwardly to said loading and unloading position.

3. In a dishwashing apparatus having walls including a pair ofoppositely disposed side walls defining a front opening therein, a pairof vertically spaced racks, a frame lying intermediate said verticallyspaced racks and adapted to support each of said racks, a rail mountedon each of saidoppositely disposed side walls intermediate the top andbottom edges of said side openmg, roller means on each of said railsadapted to cooperate with said frame to provide a free rolling supportfor said frame, and means on each of said rails for limiting the pivotalmovement of said frameabout said roller means as said frame is moved toan extended position out of said opening, said last mentioned meansbeing constructed and arranged so that when said frame and said rackmeans supported thereby are in said extended positions they may beremoved as a unit from said rails.

4. In a dishwashing apparatus, a vat having walls including oppositelydisposed side walls defining a front opening therein through whicharticles to bewashed may be moved into and out of said vat, a frame, alower dish supporting rack suspended from said frame, an upper dishsupporting rack supported on and above .said frame, a pair of rails,roller means for supporting said frame on said rails, means forsupporting one of said pair of rails on each of said oppositely disposedside walls of said vat intermediate the top and bottom edges of saidfront opening to permit free movement of said racks in ,unison throughsaid opening, said rails being rality of walls including a pair of sidewalls, an

overhanging flange along the top edges of said walls, means dependingfrom said walls for supporting a dish supporting rack below said frame,and means within said frame for removably supporting a dish supportingrack above saidframe, a pair of rails, a roller supported on each ofsaid side walls of said frame near the back end thereof, a rollersupported on each of said rails near the front end thereof, and meansfor supporting the separate rails of said pair of rails on oppositelydisposed walls of said washing appparatus so that the said rollers onsaid rails track in said overhanging flange portion of said frame andsaid rollers on said frame track on said rails, said supporting meansbeing positioned in. said washing apparatus relative to said sideopening so that said frame and said racks may be rolled in unisonthrough the side opening thereof.

6. A rack construction for a chamber having walls including a pair ofoppositely disposed side wallsdefining a front opening thereincomprising an upper rack, a lower rack, a frame lying intermediate saidupper and lower racks and supporting said racks in vertically spacedrelation, a rail adapted to be supported on each of said oppositelydisposed side walls of said chamber, rcller means mounted on the frontof each of said rails so as to engage a portion of said frame, rollermeans mounted on the rear of said frame so as to engage each of saidrails, stop means on said frame adapted to engage said roller means onsaid rail to limit the withdrawing movement of said frame from saidchamber, stop means on said rail and adapted to engage said roller meanson said frame to limit the movement of said frame into said chamber, andmeans securedto said rails so as to overlie said roller means on saidframe to limit the-pivotal movement of said frame about said rollermeans on said rails upon the withdrawal of said frame from said chamber,said last mentioned means forming an upper tracking surface for saidroller means on said frame to increase the effectiveness of said rollermeans.

7. A rack construction for a chamber having walls including a pair ofoppositely disposed side walls defining an opening therein, comprisingan upper dish supporting rack, a lower dish supporting rack, a frameadapted to lie intermediate said upp r and lower dish supporting racksto support said racks in vertically spaced relation, a rail adapted tobe supported on each of said oppositely disposed side walls of said vat,roller means mounted on'the front of each of said rails and adapted toengage a portion of said frame, roller means mounted on the rear of saidframe and adapted to engage each of said rails, stop means on said frameadapted to engage said roller means on said rail to limit thewithdrawing movement of said frame, and a flange secured to said rail soas to overlie said roller means on said frame to limit the pivotalmovement of said frameabout said roller means on said rails uponwithdrawal of said framed from said chamber, said fiange having itsfront end spaced from said roller means on said rail so that when saidstop is in engagement with said roller means on said rail, said rollermeans on said frame may be moved from under said flange to permit saidframe to be removed from said rails.

8. In a dishwashing apparatus, a vat having walls defining a sideopening therein through which articles to be washed may be moved intoand out of said vat, a door for closing said opening, means for hingedlymounting said door so that it is movable from a substantially verticalclosed position to a substantially horizontal open position, a frame, alower dish supporting rack suspended from said frame, an upper dishsupporting rack supported on and above said frame, a pair of rails,means for slidably supporting said frame on said rails, means forsupporting said rails on opposite side walls of said vat intermediatethe top and bottom edge of said front opening to permit free movement ofsaid frame with said dish supporting racks supported thereon into andout of said vat when said door is in its open position, said rails beingpitched to bias said frame into said vat, means on said rail forlimiting the movement of said frame into said vat to define a washingposition for said racks in said vat, means on said rails for limitingthe movement of said frame out of said vat to define a loading andunloading position for said racks over said door when said door is inits horizontal open position, and flange means on said rails forlimiting pivotal movement of said frame relative to said rails as saidracks are moved between said two positions so as to prevent said lowerrack from striking the surface of said door when said door is in itsopen position.

EDGAR S. STODDARD.

